Combination valve and air charger



Oct. 21, 1952 J. E; PICCARDO 2,614,498

COMBINATION VALVE AND AIR CHARGER Filed Sept. 8, 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 INVENTOR. v ./ar, zT/ /rraraa 0 1952 J. E. PICCARDO COMBINATION VALVE AND AIR CHARGER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Sept. 8, 1947 LIIM .Uh. H. H. H. H u H. H. H. J H H u n FI E IEIY Y Patented Oct. 21, 1952 1 2,614,498 COMBINATION VALVE AND AIR CHARGER Jack E. Piccardo, Oakland, Calif., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Barnes-Shasta Pump 00., a corporation of California Application September 8, 1947, Serial No. 772,827

, The invention relates to automatic flow valves and air chargers of the type disclosed in. my P atent No. 2,416,345 dated February 25, 1947, and more particularly to, an improved form of air charger for incorporation in such a device.

An object of the present invention is to pro-- 'vide in a combination valve and air charger of the character described an improved form of air charger in which diaphragms and equivalent device'siheretofore used are eliminated and a structure provided utilizing a simplified type "of piston andcylinder arrangement and wherein the piston clearance within the cylinder is so determined and so cooperates with the other related parts :as. to avoid the use of one set'of check valves customarily required in this type of mechanism. A further object of the invention is to provide an air charger of the type described having a water lubricated, full floating, water packed, .pis

tonmoving entirely within a surrounding fluid bath to substantially completely eliminate wear and deterioration of the moving parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide anfair charger of the character described which is -composed of a minimum number of sturdily formed parts which are designed for maximum simplicity in manufacture and assembly and .tion' of the preferred form of, the invention which 1s illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It isjto be'understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawings and descriptionmay beadoptedwithin the scope of the invention as i set forth: in the claim.

R.eferring to said drawings: Figure 1 is a somewhat pictorial view of a pump and connectedwell and storage tank parts with a portion of the pump shown in cross-section to illustrate the functionin of the several parts.

, Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of a valve and air charger shown in Figure l and constructed in accordance with the present invention.

1 Claim. (01. 103 -6) ing the pump prime. and air charger unit-9, as described in my patent means ofa discharge pipe 8 toga valve unit 9, incorporating the air pump and pressure tank charger of the present invention." The latter is here shown connected by a conduit 1 l to a pressure tank [2. A suction pipe l'3 extendsfrom the intake of the centrifugal 'pump to below 'the level of the water source and for pump installa-- tion wherein. the water level is below the citestive direct-lift capacity of the centrifugal pump a water elevation system as, for example, 'an ejector I4, is incorporated in the pump intake for providing an augmented and accelerated fluid lift. In this latter case a coriduitlliis tapped into the pump at the disch-argeside thereof for conducting water under pressure in a reverse direction to the flow of intake l3 to the ejector M. The ejector unit 14 is well known in theartv and is described in my previous patent'aforesaid and in brief includes a nozzle and venturi combination for elevating the well water in the pipe 13 to within the operating range of "the pump 1. A foot check valve I! is preferably provided below the ejector 'unit 14 for admitting waterto the pump and to automatically "close upon discontinuance of pump operation to prevent draining of the water from the pump'and maintain- 'I 'he function of the valv'e aforesaid, is to maintain a requisiteback pressure within the discharge chamber of the pump so as to force water under pressure downthrough conduit I6 to the ejector unit 14, and secondly to introduce into the water discharge into tank I2 a 'the pressure withinthe tank is lowered to the Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 33 of Figure 2.

The valve and air charger or the present invention is designed for incorporation in a water pump and pressure storage system as illustrated vin Figure 1.

Such a system'incorp-orates a cenjtrifugal pump I usually mounted adjacent the head of"-a Well and operatively connected by tric motor 19 connected to thepump, as the pres sure within the tank reaches its upper and lower limits, 4.0 and 20 pounds per square inch respectively.

Unit 9, containing the air pump andfluid' flow valve mechanism of the present lnventionfis Wall 23 is provided with and 26 and is aligned with a hollow longitudinal extension 29 extending from the end wall 2'! which defines a cylinder 3| in communication with the outlet chamber 26. Thus a continuous fluid circuit is established, including the centrifugal pump, conduit 8 communicating with inlet chamber 24, thence to the outlet chamber 25 via aperture 28, and to the pressure storage tank by means of discharge conduit H. As a means of insuring a requisite. back pressure .at the pumpdischarge in order to actuate the ejector unit l4, as above described, a valve is appropriately interposed inthe aperture 28 so as to selectively restrict the flow of water from the pump to the storage tank in the above described circuit. In accordance with thepresent invention such a valve comprises a hollow piston 32 slideably mounted for reciprocation in the aperture 28 and being formed with valve, ports or side wall openings 33 which, when positioned in opposed position to wall 23 permit the passage 'of water through the aperture 28. Also, in accordance with the present construction the piston .32 is mounted for reciprocation within the cylinder 3| and in its fully extended position, as shown in Figure 2, the closed end 34 of the piston is moved into a substantially closed position against the closed end 36 of the cylinder. It will thus be seen that the piston is at all times fully supported and properly guided in its reciprocation, not only in the aperture 28 but also in the axially aligned cylinder 3|, and that the degree of opening and closing of the valve, depending upon the degree of registration of ports 33 with wall 23, is a function of the longitudinal displacement of the piston.

In accordance with the present construction, the relative longitudinal positioning of the piston. and the corresponding amount of restriction of water flow through the valve is controlled in proportion to the discharge pressure of the pump. Where, for example, the outlet of the tank is opened for continuous flow and therefore they pump I is pumping against practically no back pressure, the piston valve is automatically moved to restrict the flow suflicient to produce a requisite back pressure to energize the ejector unit [4 as above described. On the other hand, when the tank discharge is closed and the back pressure on the pump is thus built up, the piston valve is correspondingly opened so as to minimize the restriction of the flow to the tank. This pressure responsive drive means for the piston valve here comprises a diaphragm 31 formed of rubber neoprene or other relatively impermeable and flexible material and secured between appropriate flanges 38 and 39 formed on the opinforcing plates 43 and. 44 and a screw 45. As

will be seen from Figure 2, the diaphragm 3! is positioned in the inlet chamber substantially mid-way between wall 23 and the end wall 41 of cap 22, and provides in addition to the chamber 24 (defined between the diaphragm 31 and the wall 23) a second fluid tight chamber 48 defined between the diaphragm 3'! and the end wall 4?. The chamber-48 is connected by conduit 49 to the suction intake 5| (see- Figure 1) of the pump so that the pressure difierential generated by the pump in operation is applied across the diaphragm 3'! normally displacing the diaphragm to the right, as seen in Figure 2, diminishing the size of chamber 48 and correspondingly increasing the size of chamber 24.

J Thismovement of diaphragm is resiliently resisted by a helical spring 52 which is mounted in chamber 48, with the opposite ends of the spring supported on the end wall 41 of the chamber and the diaphragm reinforcing plate 44. When the pump is not in operation the spring 52 normally positions the piston in its extended position as illustrated in Figure 2, wherein the aperture 28 is completely closed by the piston. On starting of the pump, the diaphragm 31 is moved rapidly to the right as viewed in Figure 2 and displaces the piston 32 to register the ports therein with the wall 23. Depending then on the pressure in chamber 24, due to the load pressure on the pump, the diaphragm, piston valve and helical spring 52 will reach a position of equilibrium, that is a position where the valve restriction creates a back pressure which balances the spring, compression. As the pressure in the storage tank builds up, so will the pressure in chamber 24 and the diaphragm will be moved further to the right, thus opening the valve towards its full open position. On the other hand, a drop in load pressure will be accomplished by movement of the diaphragm to the left, as viewed in Figure 2, thus choking the water flow and creating a higher back pressure in chamber 24 to maintainthe ejector 14 in operation, as above described. Preferably a set screw 53 is provided in the end wall 4'! of the closure 22 and which contacts the head of screw 45 to limit the opening movement of the valve. The set screw 53 may thus be set at the maximum valve opening, which still affords the minimum back pressure to operate the ejector I4, depending upon the particular well conditions. Desirably the set screw 53, projects into a recess 54 provided in the exterior side of the end wall 41 and after appropriate adjustment of the screw 53, the recess may be closed by a threaded closure plug 56 to prevent unauthorized tampering of the adjustment.

The air pump function and pressure tank air charger of the present invention is incorporated in the selective flow control hereinbefore described as an integral and functionally cooperative part thereof. It is desirable to discharge a quantity of air into the fluid storage tank upon each cycle of operation of the pump so as to insure the maintenance of the air cushion within the tank, and desirably and as here shown the addition of such air is accomplished without the necessity ofa conduit separate from the water inlet l I for admitting air to the storage tank.

In the present construction utilization is made of the reciprocatingpiston 32 and cylinder 3| 7 for afiording an air pump construction. As will be seen from Figure 2, a one-way air check valve 57, sometimes referred to as a snifter Valve, is mounted in the end wall 36 of the cylinder so as to admit air from the atmosphere into the cylinder opposite the head end 34 of the piston. A

Schraeder type tire valve is suitable for this purpose and is here shown mounted in a conventional inner-tube valve chuck threaded into the head end 36 of the cylinder. On starting of pump operation and displacement of the piston to the right, as illustrated in Figure 2, the air chamber 58 defined between the head end 34 of the piston and the end 36 of the cylinder, is enoperation. As an important feature of the present invention I have found that by selectively controlling the clearance between piston 32 and its cylinder 3| the use of a customary second check valve to prevent the flow of water into the air chamber 58 may be obviated. This is possible in the present construction due to the rapidity of movement of the piston and corresponding rapid enlargement of chamber 58 on starting of pump operation, and the relatively greater viscosity of water as compared to air. In other words, during the displacement of the piston to enlarge the air chamber, air will enter the chamber through a relatively small aperture in the valve 51 in greater quantity than water will enter the same chamber through the clearance between the piston and the cylinder even though a considerable clearance is provided. Thus a clearance is selected which inhibits but does not prevent the passage of water. Water which does pass through this clearance and into the 'air, chamber is forced back into the discharged chamber 26 upon movement of the piston to its closed position. The amount of water which passes through this clearance is not important so long as a requisite amount'of air is drawn into the air chamber during displacement of the piston. I have found that this clearance range is from one-thousandth (0.001) of an inch to six thousandth (0.006) of an inch. If the clearance is less than 0.001 difficulty is encountered in passing the air through this clearance on movement of the piston to its closed position'. On the other hand, if the clearance is greater than 0.006", the water flow past the piston is not impeded sufiiciently to draw in a requisite amount of air. Thus I have provided in the present structure a piston which is at all times surrounded by and is supported in full floating relationship in a film or body of water thereby providing automatic lubrication and sealing of the piston and minimizing the wear and deterioration of the several parts. Preferably the piston and the cylinder are formed of a non-oxidizing and non-corrosive material such as bronze so as to have a substantially unlimited life and insure the maintenance of the requisite clearance as above described.

If desired, a pressure gauge 59 may be attached to the unit 9 to indicate the discharge pressure and desirably the gauge is threaded into an opening 6| provided in the top side of the body 2| in registration with chamber 24. The removal of gauge 59 provides a ready means, through opening 6!, to prime the pump. Preferably in order to get all of the air out of the system during the priming operation, a removable plug 62 is provided in an opening 63 in the end wall 41 at the top of chamber 48. Thus in priming, water may be introduced through opening 6 l, which in turn fills the pump and conduits l3 and 16 down to the closed foot valve [1 and until water backs up through conduit 49 and is discharged through the opening 63. When the system is thus filled with water the plug 62 and the pressure gauge 59 are inserted in their respective openings.

I claim:

In an air charger of the character described, a casing having an interior wall defining on opposite sides thereof water inlet and discharge chambers, a cylinder communicating with said discharge chamber and having a closed distal end, a piston slidably mounted in an opening in said wall and mounted for reciprocation in said cylinder, said cylinder having an internal diameter greater than the outside diameter of said piston whereby there is provided a predetermined clearance between the sides of said piston and the sides of said cylinder, 2. pressure responsive drive means provided in said inlet chamber and connected to said piston to effect reciprocation thereof in said cylinder and relative to said wall, said piston being formed with a peripheral valve port at a position on the length of said piston movable to and through said opening upon said reciprocation of said piston and functioning to control the water flow through said opening in accordance with the pressure of said inlet chamber, and an air inlet check valve mounted in said closed cylinder end for admitting air into said cylinder upon displacement of said piston away from said end, said clearance being within the range of 0.001 to 0.006 of an inch and function-' ing as a check valve impeding the flow of water around said piston and providing the sole means for permitting the flow 01' said admitted air into the water flowing through said valve port.

JACK E. PICCARDO.

REFERENCES CITED 7 The following references are or record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,637,669 Wallace Aug. 2, 1927 1,941,766 Thom Jan. 2, 1934 2,416,345 Piccardo Feb. 25, 1947 

